Attic tetradrachm. AR 25 mm, 17.00 g, 12 h ! This Attic tetradrachm was acquired in Syria. The die orientation is 12 h, is it normal ? Is it a coin minted in Athens, or some near-eastern imitation ?...
I've seen that reverse orientation before. The Athenian-produced owls are in the neighborhood of a 9 o'clock reverse orientation, something given the massive output is remarkably consistent. I'm inclined to call it an eastern imitation, possibly one of the Buttrey-Falment types? The treatment of the end of the tendril on the helmet suggests that it is an imitation as well. Lots of these imitation owls, many pharaonic types, have come out of Syria over the past several years, sold through Israeli sellers and other sellers based in the UAE. But now I just don't see any, probably due to shifting political dynamics in the region that have affected the pipeline. The entire subject of imitation owls is an ongoing discussion among scholars, collectors and dealers. Here are some of the plates from Peter van Alfen's ANS article on the 1989 pertaining to the imitations from that hoard, specifically the Buttrey-Flament style groups. Buttrey-Flament style group plates imiitative owls 1989 Syrian Hoard
